You probably already know how important it is to have a website with a fresh design . It's the 21 st century and people expect to find all the information they need on the internet , and they're not going to stay on your website for longer than 5 seconds if it's messy and they can't find what they need!

How you should approach your website design

Don't think of a website as just an information section on the web forming an extension of your printed media. Think of it as an inexpensive, cost effective marketing tool that takes your products and/or services into every household across the globe.

Here's what you should be considering when evaluating your website design:

Keep it fresh. Many websites are designed in a way that makes updating and changing the content (which you need to do to keep your customers interested!) very difficult.

Make sure your website designers are going to make it easy for you to put new info and pages up when you need to.

Text should read easy. Think of how many customer calls you could be cutting down on if they were able to navigate through your website with ease? If you're selling high-tech stuff, write in a way that customers will understand and make sure your website design shows them exactly where to click and what to do.

Build your website to reach your objectives. Make your website work for you. If you have a mail order or retail business, and want to expand sales, but have a tight marketing budget use you website as your cyber store front without having to pay for printing and mailing catalogues.

Putting a website together requires a blend of publishing, a good user interface and technology. Not everyone is graphic designers or website developers, so we've set up a simple checklist for you to see if you have the basics before starting with your website revamp.